"The future of Earthsea is darkness. As long as we find the darkness, Earthsea will have a future, and we will have a future."
As soon as Charles finished speaking, Linda rushed to him and stared at his eyes of different colors.
Then she pointed at Grace, who was huddled in the corner, with her shaking hands and shouted excitedly, "She is the future of the Earthsea humans! The future of Earthsea will always belong to them, not to us monsters!!"
"You are destroying the future of Earthsea's humankind completely in your hands! This is not saving Earthsea at all!"
Grace opened her mouth in the distance, and finally mustered up the courage to say: "Ms. Linda, this is what I want to do. For everyone, I am willing to-"
"Shut up!! What do you know!! You are nothing in their eyes!! What you are thinking now is not what you really think! That is all what they instilled in you!!!"
Grace was so frightened that she dared not speak. The cabin became quiet again, with only Linda's rapid breathing as the sound.
Charles patted her shoulder with his prosthetic steel arm, put his mouth close to her ear, and said in a voice that only she could hear: "If you think my idea is not good, then you must come up with a better idea than this one, and then keep saying such vague words."
"You pity her? Even we ourselves might die in the next exploration. What's the difference between us and her? Who will pity us?"
"Earthsea is just so cruel. I thought you had gotten used to it a long time ago. You seem to have softened a lot since you pulled those needles out of your brain."
"I am not their hero. If we want to save Earthsea, it is useless to rely on heroes. Everyone must contribute their own strength. This is necessary."
After saying these words, Charles continued walking towards the deck.
"Captain, do you remember the cognitive problem I told you about before? Do you still think you have no problems at all?" Linda's trembling voice sounded again.
The footsteps of Charles' boots did not stop. "Don't worry. After all I've been through, my self-perception is not that easy to change. I am still a human being, and my humanity has not disappeared."
"This has nothing to do with human nature. It's just a simple matter of addition and subtraction. Sending them up here as bait is far better than leaving them in the sea to be drowned."
The heavy hatch opened with a creaking sound, and then the hatch closed again heavily.
The next morning, before the assembly time, Charles had already arrived on the Narwhal. He carefully checked every detail.
By the time the crew members came on board one after another, Charles had just finished his inspection.
"Captain, it looks like there are a lot of ships going this time." Dipper, half squatting on the edge of the boat, looked at the four airships next to him in surprise.
"This is the first time we've officially come into contact with the Foundation. They must be very concerned about this, so there's no way they wouldn't send someone over."
Of course Charles knew these things, and it didn't matter whether he was worried or suspicious, because he had never told any lies.
"Woo~~" A low whistle sounded slowly, and the Narwhal slowly floated in the air.
Everyone in the site looked over, their eyes full of anticipation, as this exploration was of great significance.
Under the purple light, Charles looked at all the crew members on the deck and said, "Assemble. Sign up!"
Registration is always the biggest beginning. The first one is the first mate, the one covered in bandages.
"Bandage, position... First mate, assist the captain and organize various work plans... Responsible for preparing cargo stowage plan, 0-8... cockpit duty."
Next came the second mate. Today he had much less makeup on his face, and he looked a lot cleaner with his white lace collar.
"Ordrick, Chief Engineer, is in overall charge of the production and administration of the engine department; he oversees the implementation of the engine department's rules and regulations to ensure that all equipment is kept in good technical condition."
The former blind vampire has completely healed, and now he can be said to be the most handsome one on the Narwhal.
"Jackson, second engineer: maintain normal working order in the engine room; be responsible for the use and maintenance of propulsion equipment and additional equipment, boilers, lubrication and cooling, fuel oil, starting air, overweight power and emergency equipment."
"The second engineer of Brooke performs duty on duty and is responsible for the use and maintenance of auxiliary machinery and its ancillary systems, emergency power generation system and transfer pumps, air compressors, oil-water separation equipment and dirty oil tanks.
The two newcomers to the engine room unexpectedly both had big beards, but one was white and the other was black.
"Glanck. Staff cook, responsible for the crew's meals."
The fat chef is still as fat as before, but after going through so many things, the special kindness on his face has been completely worn away, and only toughness remains on his broad face.
"Claire, job title is kitchen helper. Assist the chef in taking care of the crew's meals."
"Deep, the boatswain, is responsible for guiding the sailors to do the maintenance and repair of anchors, cables, and loading and unloading equipment; leading the sailors to do painting, sails and cables, and high-altitude operations, and is on duty in the cockpit from 16 to 24."
The Deep Diver's boatswain looked eager to try, as if he couldn't wait to get started.
"Severus, duty one: perform steering, navigational watch duties and daily deck maintenance work."
As a vampire from Dark Crystal Island, he was originally an old sailor of the Narwhal and has now been reintegrated.
"Walter, position 2nd waterman: perform cable laying, gangway laying and various deck work."
"Linda, the ship's doctor, is responsible for treating the crew's illnesses and conducting daily physical examinations."
The bald woman held Grace's hand like a young mother, with a calm look in her eyes.
After they finished speaking one by one, everyone's eyes turned to Grace and Norden who were silent.
Norden is unable to speak, and neither is Grace.
However, when he saw Charles looking at him, Norden hunched over and curled his green body into a ball and quickly started writing with a pen.
"Noden, duty: perform steering, navigational watch duties and daily deck maintenance work."
Seeing that they all said it, Grace bit her lip lightly, and suddenly she took a step forward and shouted loudly: "Grace! Duty weapon! When the ship encounters irresistible danger, use self-destruct magic to lure out a certain existence to protect the safety of other crew members. Don't worry, I will do it when I am needed!"
Her cheerful voice drew the attention of everyone on the boat, but this time she did not dodge and straightened her chest generously.
Charles' mouth curled up slightly, and he slowly said, "Charles, captain! Responsible for the safe transportation of ships, production and administrative management, and responsible for the shipping company. Ensure the safety of ships, lives and property to the greatest extent possible, and handle various affairs decisively and steadily when encountering emergencies! Narwhal, set off!!"
(End of this chapter)